Pasco-Hernando State College Volume XII, Issue I - Spring 2018 | Page 7

NEWS
g s
$1 MILLION
in Scholarships Awarded
Re
Over
FOUNDATION
Y
r
a
e
pp
o f su ortin
Becky Linares, Duke Energy First Generation
STEM Scholarship Recipient
A
nnually, the Florida legislature has appropriated funding to
match institutions on a dollar for dollar basis designated
toward their First Generation Matching Grant Program. The
funding is designed to provide financial aid to Florida undergraduate
residents who demonstrate financial need and whose parents have
not earned a baccalaureate degree. The 2017 State Legislative
session encountered a challenge to Florida colleges and universities
encouraging institutions to raise twice the private funding for First
Generation Scholarships, and receive matching state allocations
dollar for dollar.
Culminating the commitment of several donors, the Foundation
raised $70,000 in matching funding, designating $140,000 to be
distributed toward PHSC First Generation Scholarships during the
2017-18 academic year. A special thank you to Suncoast Credit
Union Foundation, Duke Energy Foundation, Hernando Healthcare
Foundation Inc., SunTrust Bank Foundation, Gary Blackwell
Charitable Foundation, Andrew and Molly Barnes, Karen Boyer,
Kathleen Grattan, and many PHSC employees who contributed to
First Generation Scholarships this year. This increase in funding
is a direct reflection of the Foundation awarding over $1 million in
scholarships for the first time in the Foundation’s history.
“As a third semester student of the RN program at PHSC,
I’ve learned that balance is everything! Not only am I a
student, I am also a wife, and a mother of four amazing
kids, two of which are also PHSC students. Being a
recipient of the Duke Energy First Generation STEM
Scholarship has allowed me to invest in the people and
the things that I love the most while easing the financial
burden associated with college expenses. This scholarship
has allowed me precious time with my family and more
time dedicated to my studies so that I can be successful
and in the end provide a more meaningful future for my
family. I am very thankful for such generous donors
to invest in students like myself to help me reach my
professional dreams.”
- Becky Linares
SPRING 2018
7